As you welcome whatever you find alien within yourself, extend that same welcome to whatever you find alien in the outer world. - Parker Palmer

The first thing that gets cut when we are under stress is collaborating with others. It's messy and hard and there's no energy for it. Collaboration by its nature takes more time than doing it (poorly) by ourselves. Collaboration is the only way to get the mysteries/dreams to fruition. Multiple passionate brains provide exponential potential which can mitigate interference to drive incredible solutions. Busy-ness has replaced collaboration. Busy-ness has also replaced achievement and purpose. Check out this stat:

Change the game. Schedule face to face meetings (virtual or live) and focus on purpose like Dorothy did. Work together to make the meetings effective- it will take time because it is a lost skill. Get the right people in the room. Hold each other accountable. No rambling. AND don't forget to balance that with alone time. Based on your behavioral styles, you'll need different amounts of each. Honor each others differences. If you'd like to build a Team Model so you are always aware of your team members' needs, request one here.

Bring lunch and breaks back. One of our local IT companies, Moser Consulting, buys lunch for the entire staff each day. This is probably one of the reasons they were chosen as a "Best Place to Work" in Indy the past three years. When I walked in, the positive sounds of collaboration and friendship at lunch were impressive. And then, people were gone, focusing on their work. This is not a software company where everyone is sitting around a large table with their headphones on completely ignoring each other. Each developer has a cubicle with white glass to write on, and there's lots of collaborative space. Intrapersonal and Interpersonal strengths are equally valued. Collaboration and quiet are both the way to their goals.

As you integrate ignorance and failure into your knowledge and success, do the same with all the alien parts of yourself. Take everything that’s bright and beautiful in you and introduce it to the shadow side of yourself. Let your altruism meet your egotism, let your generosity meet your greed, let your joy meet your grief. - Parker Palmer